2018 Canadian Coffee & Tea Show & Iced Tea Recipe | Event Recap & Tea Recipe

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Tea provided for post & free entry to the event

Last week was the Canadian Coffee & Tea show and I wanted to bring everyone along with me! While I was there, I also took part in an iced tea workshop which inspired me to create my own recipe! Let’s go! 

Canadian Coffee & Tea Show Recap

The Canadian Coffee & Tea Show is a yearly event that was held on Sunday, September 23, and Monday, September 24 at the Toronto Congress Center. The show is made of three main sections; the tradeshow floor, educational talks, and short workshop sessions. I was given free entry to the event. 

The focus of the show is geared more toward individuals in the tea and coffee industry, such as restaurants or companies. Most companies do not sell items at their booths that may not be useful to the average tea drinker. That being said, I still love going to the event because you are bound to meet people and see so many new things. 

On the tradeshow floor, I saw some familiar faces such as Genuine Tea, Lemon Lily Organic Tea, and Pluck Teas! I also saw some new ones like Royal Garden Teas who use 10% of their profits to support wildlife such as elephants who were affected by deforestation to create tea gardens. I have never even thought of that before!

Iced Tea Session & Creating my Own

However, as much as I like being on the floor, the highlights for me are the talks and sessions! I was only able to attend on Monday, so I opted to go to the iced tea session with Jennifer from Pluck Teas. Her demonstration was quick and simple and the results were delicious.

Jennifer showed a few off concoctions using ingredients such as matcha, herbal teas, juices, and butterfly pea flowers! I know summer has come and gone, but I still think a nice iced tea is refreshing! I was very inspired by her session, so I decided to try my hand at making my own.

I started with a simple tea syrup, consisting of Pluck’s Verbena Blue, sugar, and water. Since the blend contains butterfly pea flower, liquor had a dark purple colour. However, a neat thing about the flower is that it reacts to lemon which turns it more into a pinkish colour.

So, I added a few drops of lemon which provided a hint of sourness as well. I top it off with crushed mixed berries to finish off the gradient. It also adds some sweetness and balances out the sourness. The drink tastes refreshing without the lemon, but I personally like it more with the lemon! Enjoy!

Simple Tea Syrup Recipe

(adapted from Pluck Teas)

Ingredients

• 1 cup water
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 3 teaspoons tea

Instructions

1. Boil water
2. Add sugar and stir to dissolve
3. Add tea and turn off the heat
4. Allow the infusion to steep for 15 minutes
5. Strain away the tea

Berry and Butterfly Ice Tea Recipe

Ingredients

• 2 oz Simple Tea Syrup
• 4 oz club soda
• 1 oz mixed berries (fresh or frozen)
• Ice cubes
• Lemon Juice (optional)

Instructions

1. Add ice cubes 1/4 of the way up the glass
2. Pour 2oz Simple Tea Syrup over ice cubes
3. OPTIONAL: add a few drops of lemon juice to cause the liquor to change colour/ sourness
4. Slowly pour soda into the glass. For better control, pour over the back of a spoon
5. Top off with slightly crushed mixed berries and juice
6. Stir to combine

Final Thoughts

Overall, I enjoyed the show and I am really glad I was able to take part in the workshop! I was very inspired and had a lot of fun creating my own drink. I wanted to use the colours from the herbal blend to create a gradient. The lemon juice is optional but I do like that it adds a little note of sour.

• Date: Sunday, Septemeber 22 to Sunday, Septemeber 23
• Venue: Toronto Congress Center
• Company: Toronto Tea Festival

Do you like drinking iced tea?